I am tired of this devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
Sew when the going gets rough
I ain’t scared of your brother
I ain’t scared of no sheets
I ain’t scared of nobody
Girl when the goin’ gets mean
Ryan Wayne White, born December 6, 1971 was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. He became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed in December 1984, was given six months to live. Doctors said he posed no risk to other students, but AIDS was poorly understood at the time, and when White tried to return to school, many parents and teachers in Kokomo rallied against his attendance. A lengthy legal battle with the school system ensued, and media coverage of the case made White into a national celebrity and spokesman for AIDS research and public education due to the prejudice he experienced. Surprising his doctors, White lived five years longer than predicted and died on April 8th 1990, one month prior to his high school graduation [x]
Okay. Let’s address this super-sensitive issue. Sigh. You guys, Michael’s face did change a lot. It really did and the sooner we accept this as a fandom, the better.
Not only does it appear as though we’re arguing blindly when people are so headstrong about his appearance not really changing when it clearly did: and quite substantially so, but quite frankly, it just makes us look like we don’t really have a firm grasp on reality.
(It’s not just this post I’m talking about btw, I’m just chucking all my thoughts/opinions into one post and this was the latest one I saw floating around so no offence to the OP at all.)
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]Title: Little Susie
Artist: Michael Jackson
Played: 382 times
‘Little Susie’ is yet another testament to Jackson’s range and depth as an artist. The song also demonstrates his commitment to his creative vision regardless of whom it might alienate. Many critics were simply baffled that a ‘mini-opera’ about such a dark and grotesque subject could land on a mainstream pop record. “What it’s doing on an album with Dallas Austin and Jam and Lewis is anyone’s guess,’ wrote Rolling Stone.For Jackson, however, the reasoning for “Little Susie” was quite simple: He believed it was a great piece. Commercial viability or audience expectations didn’t matter. What mattered was the personal connection, the story, the melody. Jackson had actually written and recorded a version of the song more than 15 years earlier in 1979. He tinkered with it a few times over the years, but it wasn’t until working with Brad Buxer in 1994 that it finally began to unfold itself for Jackson.
While “Little Susie” remains mostly unknown, it is one of the most poignant and unique songs in his entire catalogue. “If he ever decides to stop being a pop singer,” wrote Anthony Wynn, “this song [is] a proof he could compose music for movies and seriously win Oscars for it. It’s sad, haunting, beautiful.” Indeed, “Little Susie” reaffirms his substantial abilities as a songwriter. A tragic, piercing account of loneliness and loss, the song also boldly veers from traditional pop/rock instruments and expectations, featuring Broadway-style orchestration and strings borrowed from Fiddler on the Roof’s “Sunrise, Sunset.” The song begins with the “Pie Jesu” segment of Maurice Durufle’s majestic masterpiece, Requiem Op. 9. Following this interlude, a little girl’s voice (sung by Markita Prescott) hums simple melody to the sound of a music box. The effect is both enchanting and disturbing.
Thanks for this (entire) post, I’m glad I’m not alone with the realisation that it’s perfectly possible for someone as famous as him to still be so fucking underrated. This song is brilliant, the bloody intro alone has managed to make me cry before.
